‘I had sleepless nights’

He has been a part of films like Maqbool (2003) and Raavan (2010), but it’s actor Ajay Gehi’s just released film, Not A Love Story, based on Neeraj Grover murder case, that gave him sleepless nights.

“I could not sleep for days before the murder scene was to be shot. For the entire 2-3 days of the shoot, I had to play a dead body with blood all over me,” says the actor, who essays the role of TV executive Neeraj Grover, who was found killed in May 2008 and for which Kannada actor Maria Susairaj and a former Navy officer, Emile Jerome, were convicted.

“In the movie, I had to understand and convey the pain, but I had to be very careful that I didn’t overdo anything,” he adds. The actor rebuffs the rumour that the movie is a replica of the Neeraj Grover murder case.

“It’s inspired by the the incident. It’s not an exact copy,” Gehi says.

So how did he prepare for his role?

“To be honest, the creative team did the research. They didn’t ask me to adopt any special strategies. It was left to my imagination to play the character. I just met Grover’s colleagues to know him better. There was a lot of pressure to not hurt anyone’s sentiments,” says the 30-year-old actor.

Gehi, who was also seen in few TV shows, says he is getting many film offers, but hasn’t decided on anything yet.